


Bystander

by KazueEmiko



Category: VA-11 Hall-A (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-12 10:15:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29508177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KazueEmiko/pseuds/KazueEmiko
Summary: There’s so much Dorothy wanted to do, but there’s only so much she could do as a bystander for Jill.[From “On the Rocks” Zine!]
Kudos: 8





	Bystander

**Author's Note:**

> Now that we’ve been given the green light, I want to share with you all the full piece that I have written for “On the Rocks” Zine! I’ve enjoyed writing this a lot. When I first wrote for it, I hoped to center around the relationship between Dorothy and Jill through Dorothy’s perspective... to which this piece came to life. 
> 
> Many thanks again to the other contributors and mods (especially!) for making this Zine come to life!

People think it’s easy to cope with loss. After all, there are only five stages to grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Time heals everyone. But sometimes, the process is long and arduous, and Dorothy was soon drawn to the spectacle of her close friend’s grief.

_‘ What could a Lilim like me do for Jill? ‘_

Dorothy thought long and hard about this question, her short stature nestled upon the worn stool, her white dress occasionally ruffled by the kicking of her legs into the air. Rosy red locks bounced over her eyebrows as she flashed a cheesy smile with slanted eyes at the bartender.

“You know me so well,” she praised, the Piano Woman gently eased onto the counter. Adelhyde, Bronson Extract, Powdered Delta, Flanergide, and Karmotrine are all mixed and aged… It was the perfect drink that lingered on one’s taste buds. The corners of her lips remained curved well after taking a sip of the sweet alcohol. “Oh, honey, you’re the only one who could make it this perfect.”

“You never ask for anyone else.”

“That’s because yours is the one I like the most.”

The Lilim heartily laughed despite Jill’s sighs. Their exchanges were always like this. Not that the two minded. Dorothy was always a welcoming presence for Jill, especially after a difficult customer, and de-stressing Jill brought Dorothy relief. They deserved to be at ease with each other.

Dorothy took another sip from her Piano Woman, her bright ruby eyes observing her dear friend, who now shifted her attention to a newcomer into the premise. Jill remained poised and cool as an older male approached her.

“Welcome to Valhalla. What can I get for you?”

“Gimme a Moonblast, will ya?” he grumbled while plopping himself onto the stool two seats away from Dorothy. “And make it a big one.”

“Right away.”

As Jill collectively gathered the necessary ingredients and began to drop some ice cubes into the metallic container, Dorothy gaze never left her. She could hear the middle-aged man mumble and mutter incoherent complaints under his breath, his arms continuously pressed upon the sturdy counter. Once his requested drink arrived, it wasn’t long until he word-vomited to Jill.

Ups and downs of his shift at a tabloid company, the philosophy of starting a new life, and the powerful nostalgia that begs for him to return to his gang life… He poured it all out at the same rate as his indulgence of the served beverage, and it was all to a stranger that he only knows by the name of “Jill” for less than an hour.

“Aren’t you so reliable?” Dorothy spoke up once the man had left, Jill now back in the Lilim’s social bubble.

Jill faintly smiled. “It’s an unspoken job description of being a bartender.” She collected the glass cup left behind by the older customer and began cleaning it. Amidst the subtle sound of running water and scrubbing, Jill continued, “Customers come from all walks of life, and they have their reasons for coming to a bar. Most importantly, they know there’s always someone to listen to them.” She shook off the water excess and grabbed a nearby clean towel. “All for the price of a drink.”

A brief silence hung between the two women. As there were no other customers, and both Dana and Gillian were busy upstairs, this quiet atmosphere heightened their senses towards their surroundings, the faint squeaks of rough fabric running along the glass container and gleeful advertisements from a faraway television distilling it. A solid minute ticked by until one of them broke the silence.

“Say, can I have a big beer?”

Jill raised her head. “You don’t normally drink one.” Regardless of her comment, the young woman immediately produced a beer for the Lilim. After all, who is she to argue with a regular customer, no less one that is always a loyal patron to Jill? Foam naturally sizzled to the top of the large glass, its content nearly overflowing once settled on the counter’s surface. “Be sure to finish your Piano Woman. I doubt it would taste as good after a beer.”

“Honey, I’m not going to drink it.”

The pig-tailed server raised her brows at her friend. Then, she narrowed her eyes once she noticed a sly streak run across Dorothy’s lips, the beer slowly sliding towards the bartender's direction. Jill knew exactly where this was going.

“Dorothy, I’m in the middle of work—”

“What if I, as your loyal customer, request that you drink with me?”

“…”

Dammit, Jill couldn’t wiggle herself out of this situation. The supernatural concept of fate seemed to not be going her way either as Dana popped by the counter like a ninja, eliciting a loud gasp from the bartender. Arms crossed, the short-haired owner grinned, albeit it might be due to amusement from Jill’s reaction.

“Go take your break, Jill,” she urged. “You haven’t taken one yet. I’ll have Gil take care of your clients.”

There was no way she could object against Dana. A faint sigh escaped the bartender as she cast the recently cleaned glass back to its respectful place.

“If you say so, Boss…”

Her words were absolute in the land of Valhalla. Pleased with the response of her employee, Dana motioned a farewell to the two females before calling out to their colleague, Gillian’s voice emitting from the storage room below.

Now it was just the two of them alone.

Normally, she would go out the back door and puff from her cigarette or two, dwelling deep in her mind about the past and future. Gillian or Dana might accompany her, but Jill mostly went out on her own. This break, however, shook up her routine. She sighed. The smile widened on the Lilim’s features once Jill settled on the stool, leaning against the solid furnace with the self-served beer at hand, her fingertips moistened by the chilled perspiration.

“Cheers?” Dorothy raised her half-finished drink.

Jill wryly smiled and raised hers. “Cheers.”

A clink was heard. Afterward, they both indulged in their alcoholic beverages, Dorothy elegantly sipping and Jill gulping. The instant Jill lowered her beer mug, Dorothy motioned a hand in the air.

“Honey, how are you lately?“

“Hm...” Jill glanced up at the dark ceiling to gather her thoughts. “I’m doing okay so far.”

“So far?”

“My rent is paid on time, I have enough spare change to spend on goodies, and I manage to get up the next day.” She shrugged. “So, yes, so far I’m alright.”

Dorothy intertwined her fingers and rested her chin on her bridged-hands, ruby hues never leaving her friend. She tilted her head and softly exhaled.

“No, I’m not talking about that. I mean… emotionally, how are you?”

“Oh.”

Jill didn’t know she verbalized her surprise and it was written all over her facial features. She shifted her gaze elsewhere. A pregnant silence hung in the air with neither of the two touching their drinks. The job of a bartender came with the responsibility of being a pseudo-therapist for their consumers. Woos and woes were dumped without a moment of hesitation onto them, albeit likely from the effects of alcohol. Yet none of them had actually sat down to question the bartender themselves.

_How are you?_

A simple question that offered so much to unpack.

“...”

The quiet atmosphere was becoming heavier by the second, Jill shifting uncomfortably in her seat and Dorothy watching over her friend. An occasional tapping of one’s shoes upon the stool’s pole accompanied the Lilim during this prolonged silence.

Jill had, honestly, lost so much in her life. She broke up with her girlfriend in a horrific fashion, unable to tie up loose ends, she was struggling to accept the news that this bar she’s worked and loved was closing, and her financial resources were treading on thin ice to keep a roof over her head. If anything, Jill was barely able to keep herself together for another day.

She looked over to Dorothy.

Would it help to talk about it? Just like Alma and Dana, Dorothy had been with her since the day she first started working at Valhalla, and just like them, she felt at ease around her. Would Dorothy here be able to banish the things that slowly consumed Jill’s sanity? Jill slowly exhaled. Then, she smiled.

“...I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mhm.”

Although her beer was only half-finished, the raven-haired woman rose from her seat, her strained features still plastered on her face. Dorothy scrunched her brows at the sight of her friend silently walking behind the counter, the remaining content dumped into the sink. Gillian, who stood nearby with a clean towel, was taken aback by his colleague’s immediate return to duty. However, he was unable to ask any questions as she elbowed his side instantly, his face scribbled with agony. A similar fate, minus the physical assault, descended upon Dorothy as another customer waltzed into the premise, albeit with another companion. The two bartenders quickly attended to their clients as they sat a few stools away from the Lilim.

Dorothy’s metallic fingertips traced her glass, her ruby eyes locked on her friend.

What a busy bee Jill was. The two customers drawled about a personal matter relating to their personal events. An under-the-knife operation had gone severely wrong for the woman, her boyfriend frantically pressing for information about a rumored cure from the bartenders. Eventually, as if a spell had been cast, Jill managed to disperse the negative air that surrounded the duo and even made them laugh. Jill and Gillian laughed alongside too. The Lilim’s tracing stopped.

_‘ But you’re not okay, Jill. ‘_

If anything, she was far from that. Dorothy wasn’t sure what was bothering Jill, but she could tell from a mile away that her friend was hurting, and Jill was desperately putting up a cool facade. The Lilim glanced away and mindlessly stared hard at the counter, unconsciously smoothing the black surface.

_‘ What can a Lilim like me do for Jill? ‘_

“Sorry about that,” Jill appeared before her again, half an hour seemingly passed by. “I didn’t mean to ignore you like that.”

“How sweet of you to not forget about me,” Dorothy pulled a cheeky grin, a large contrast to her mood earlier. “To make it up, I want to thank you in advance for having me over for tonight~”

“Wha— No! What makes you think it’s okay to come over to my home like that?!”

“Honey, relax. I’m not going to do anything naughty. Unless you want that, to which I apologize for not having special discounts for servicing someone I consider as one of my closest friends.”

“Dorothy!” Unlike the majority of her customers, Jill’s features did not show the slightest sign of redness nor stuttering speech. Dorothy playfully pouted, but quickly regained her composure. “I kid. I figured that you would want some company tonight, but if you so strongly object, I won’t.”

“Oh… well, thanks for the offer, but I will be fine. Really. Besides, I have Fore.”

That dreaded cat—! Dorothy’s hues darkened and her smile stilled. An agitated laughter burst from the frozen Lilim, startling Jill.

“I forgot that you have Fore… I-If you do change your mind, you… do have a place to tuck your cat away, right…?”

Jill chuckled. “If I ever invite you over, I’ll be sure to place Fore in his crate.”

“Whew!” Dorothy wiped her forehead, though rather dramatically. “But just letting you know, I would still stay over even if you didn’t have a crate for Fore. You would just have to pay extra.”

“Great to know that I’ve saved myself an extra ten bucks.”

“The offer still stands, you know.”

Joking as she might have been, Dorothy was serious about the offer. The Lilim straightened her back. She knew that Jill would rely on her friends and colleagues in the near future as support during her road to recovery. However, right now, she was still dragging her feet through all aspects of grief except acceptance. Dorothy tipped the glass cup to her lips. It was the least she could do, and it was way better than becoming a bystander to a slow-burning tragedy.

Dorothy drank the last bits of her sweet alcohol. Before Jill could ask if the short female wanted anything else, Dorothy said, “I would like a Moonblast, please.” And before Jill could request for an explanation, Dorothy also added, with a shrug of her shoulders, “Just in the mood for it. I don’t exactly like it, but I can’t stop drinking it.”


End file.
